Pettibone fails to impress as Phils hammered by Rockies

DENVER — Before Friday night’s game, the Philadelphia Phillies decided that starter Jonathan Pettibone would be sent back to Triple-A to make room in the rotation for Cole Hamels.

Pettibone was hoping to leave on a good note. Instead, he lasted four innings and the Phillies were pounded 12-1 by the Colorado Rockies. Pettibone gave up nine hits and a career-high eight runs, including a three-run homer to Troy Tulowitzki, who went 3-for-3 with a double and five RBIs, all with two out, and a crucial walk.

“You want to leave your last impression so that they knew who they want to call back up when something is needed,” Pettibone said. “Frustrating, but kind of got to go down and get after it and get better.”

Pettibone (0-1) has made 20 career starts. He’s 5-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 18 starts away from Coors Field and 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA in two starts there.

Before Pettibone took the mound, the Phillies decided to option him to Lehigh Valley and recall reliever Shawn Camp, who will be here Saturday.

“We set a tough tone for ourselves and got behind the eight ball really,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “Pitched behind in the count and they were on fastballs in fastball counts. They didn’t miss any.”

Tyler Chatwood (1-0) held the Phillies hitless for 4.2 innings and limited them to two singles — their only two hits — and one unearned run in seven innings.

Drew Stubbs and Charlie Blackmon added three hits apiece, and the 1-2 hitters in the Rockies’ batting order combined to score five of Colorado’s runs. The 18 hits represented a season high for the Rockies and their run total matched a season high.

Pettibone was in trouble from the outset, giving up four runs in a 36-pitch first inning. Blackmon and Stubbs each singled on ground balls to start the inning. Gonzalez was robbed when second baseman Chase Utley leaped high in the air to catch his sharply hit line drive, but Tulowitzki worked a walk to load the bases after a 14-pitch at-bat that included 10 foul balls, eight with the count full.

“I kind of threw everything I could at that point,” Pettibone said. “At the same time, I didn’t want to give in. That was a big situation. First and second, one out, so I didn’t want to, for one, walk him or two, give him something to drive. I just kept battling and battling. Tip my hat to him. He’s a heck of a hitter. He did his job today.”

Justin Morneau followed with a two-run double. Wilin Rosario had a run-scoring groundout and Nolan Arenado singled up the middle to drive in the Rockies’ fourth run.

It didn’t get any better for Pettibone in the second as Blackmon singled and was sacrificed to second. The Phillies got to 3-0 on Gonzalez and opted to intentionally walk him and go after Tulowitzki. He responded by driving an 0-1 offering into the stand of evergreens beyond the center-field wall for his second home run of the season, upping Colorado’s lead to 7-0.

The Rockies went up 8-0 on Tulowitzki’s run-scoring double in the fourth, before the Phillies got on the scoreboard in the fifth. After Carlos Ruiz reached on third baseman Arenado’s two-out fielding error, Cody Asche singled to center for the Phillies’ first hit of the game and pinch-hitter Jayson Nix, batting for Pettibone, singled to score Ruiz.

Colorado got that run back on Tulowitzki’s RBI single in the sixth. NOTES: Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels (left biceps tendinitis) allowed one run in seven innings Thursday in his third rehab start for high Class A Clearwater. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said before the game he’s leaning toward having Hamels start Wednesday at Los Angeles with one additional day of rest to keep starter A.J. Burnett slotted between Cliff Lee and Hamels in the rotation. ... Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin (left shoulder strain) could throw up to 65 pitches Saturday for high Class A Modesto in his second rehab start. ... Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer was given the night off to rest a sore left hamstring. He is day to day. ... Phillies righty Kyle Kendrick (0-1) is set to start Game 2 of the series Saturday against the Rockies’ Jordan Lyles (2-0). ... Blackmon, who had an RBI single among his three hits, upped his batting average to .426 in 18 games this season.